A pro-business mayor? Khan is less so than Livingstone April 29, 2019 Before he was elected, Sadiq Khan promised – in this newspaper and elsewhere – to be the “most pro-business mayor yet”. In a literal sense, that pledge was already a bit limited, because Khan has only had two predecessors: Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson. The first one was an apologist for assorted Communist regimes. In [...]
Gillette proves that cultural relevance is key to a brand’s future performance April 29, 2019 In an age of so much cultural change, it’s vital that brands regularly take stock of their “relevance” in current society. For a 117-year old brand like Gillette, exploring what masculinity actually means in this day and age was essential for its continued existence. Gillette is a brand that used to be only about the [...]
Avengers, Assemble – Marvel’s superhero franchise can teach your business how to tackle digital disruption April 29, 2019 It’s fair to assume that for Marvel fans sitting down to watch the recently released Avengers: Endgame, their first thought won’t be what it teaches us about digital disruption – they’ll be wondering how the dream team will defeat the Mad Titan Thanos, and who will still be standing when the credits roll. However, with [...]
Business can help Britain lead the green race to a better future April 26, 2019 One of the things that has been keeping me sane over the past three months as the twists and turns of Brexit have taken their toll is working on climate change. I’ve had the privilege of being part of an expert group providing advice to the UK Committee on Climate Change on the move to [...]
DEBATE: Should we be concerned about Chinese telecoms giant Huawei helping to build UK infrastructure? April 26, 2019 Should we be concerned about Chinese telecoms giant Huawei helping to build UK infrastructure? Dr John Hemmings, director of the Asia Studies Centre at the Henry Jackson Society, says YES. Huawei’s ownership structure and state-subsidies make it – in effect – a virtual state-owned enterprise with a credit line of £30bn with the China Development Bank [...]
Wanted: Your free-market ideas to give everyone a shot at improving their lives April 26, 2019 Life isn’t fair. It never will be. In fact, so much of what we experience day-to-day, year-to-year, is a result of things we can’t control – the country we’re born in, the robustness of our immune system, the bumps on our nose (well, mine anyway) are pre-determined facts of life. Progress means embracing or overcoming [...]
Tesla: Nice cars, shame about the bottom line? April 26, 2019 Tesla has just announced its first-quarter financial results, and I’m surprised to see the headline figures aren’t good: a loss of $702 million, and an expectation that the company will bear further losses in Q2 (before, it claims, returning to profit in the third quarter). Reading deeper into the detail, Tesla’s cash reserves plummeted by [...]
Hong Kong Horse Racing Tips: Uncle Steve out to impress for connections at Sha Tin April 25, 2019 TRAINER John Moore and jockey Zac Purton have been one of the most successful partnerships in Hong Kong this season. The duo have combined 38 times, with an impressive record of 15 wins and eight places, and look certain to improve that tally at Sha Tin on Sunday. Beauty Generation looks an obvious winner for [...]
Hong Kong Horse Racing Tips: Santa to make Christmas come early for punters April 25, 2019 EARLY risers will be rewarded with a fantastic card of racing on Sunday morning as Sha Tin hosts FWD Champions Day. There is almost £7 million and three Group Ones up for grabs and the headline act will be Beauty Generation, rated the joint-best racehorse on the planet, when seeking his ninth successive victory in [...]
Football Betting Tips: Spurs to cement top-four spot with a Hammers win April 25, 2019 TOTTENHAM will have one eye on next week’s Champions League semi-final against Ajax, but first they must see off West Ham this weekend to go one step closer to securing a top-four spot. Mauricio Pochettino’s men sit third in the table, ahead of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal, and it would be a surprise to [...]